It’s spring. This time of year is known for ticks attacking dogs. Dogs are curious animals that love staying outside and one of the main activities is running and rolling on the grass. In this way, it can happen that some of the ticks get attached to the fur.
How to Remove a Tick from Your Dog? The removal procedure is described in this article, but you can also become more familiar with ticks and the diseases that they can transmit to the dog.
Symptoms that your dog has ticks
If your dog has ticks, watch it. There are symptoms that indicate the disease:
– high temperature,
– lethargy,
– increased intake of water,
– the dark color of urine
– The pale color of the mucous membrane of the gums.
If you notice any of these symptoms, it is crucial to consult a veterinarian within 48 hours.
If you decide to remove the tick yourself, it should be grabbed as close to the skin as possible and rotated counterclockwise.
Brushing as prevention of tick removal
To prevent possible complications of hair buildup in the pet’s intestines, as they will lick themselves, it is necessary to brush the hair regularly.
Brushing is a process that should take no longer than five minutes, after which a reward, that is, a meal, is recommended. This reduces the pet’s stress.
In the spring, regular fighting begins with insects eagerly awaiting their host, which will not diminish your pet’s desire to enjoy nature.
Brushing after such a pleasure can prevent many complications. The problem of ticks should not be taken lightly because it is as much a danger to the pet as it is to its owner.
In these cases, it can be said that prevention is more important than the therapy itself.
Which products to use against ticks
You can use these three types of products to combat ticks:
– necklaces
– drops
– powder
Prevention consists of three types of products. They can be obtained from veterinary pharmacies from a number of different manufacturers. Although it has an essential effect, it has the least powder effect against ticks.
Necklaces and drops for tick protection
It is most commonly used in young animals because they cannot be used immediately for drops or necklaces. If the necklace is plant-based, such as eucalyptus oil, it can generally be used in puppies, as will be indicated on the product.
We recommend Seresto Flea and Tick Collar for Dogs to effectively remove ticks from your dog
Necklaces can be divided into:
– those who repel ticks
– those who kill them
And this product: Laypet Flea and Prevention for Dogs is a great solution to prevent tick attacks on your dog
These products will protect your pet from ticks and fleas.
We also recommend this product Direct Protect Plus Flea & Tick Topical Treatment for Dogs, which effectively protects your dog from ticks and fleas
It is the responsibility of the owner to read the instructions for use of each product to make sure that it is appropriate for the pet’s age, specific purpose, as well as shelf life.
If prevention has failed you because protection is not complete security, do not panic. Not every tick is infected and does not have to cause disease.
Regular care will be appreciated by your pet, so include prevention in everyday life, protect yourself and your beloved furry friends!
More information about ticks
Ticks are a must for ectoparasites that feed on the blood of the host.
Ticks carry a large number of infectious diseases, causing lesions that may be susceptible to secondary bacterial infections.
Toxins are excreted at the site of the bite, and if parasitized by a large number of ticks on the animal at the same time, anemia can occur, and in more sensitive individuals’ death.
The following types of ticks are parasitized in dogs:
– Haemophisialis inermis
– Margaropus calcaratus
– Rhipicephalus bursa
– Hyaloma excavatum
– Dermacentor marginatus
The most dangerous tick-borne diseases are:
– Babesiosis
– Anaplasmosis
– Ehrlichiosis
– Leishmaniasis
How tick bite diseases work in the dog’s body (medical observation)
The infection occurs after contaminated ticks attack the pet and inoculate the parasites.
It is believed that ticks from the Rhipicephalus and Ixodes families are the most commonly invaded. Sometimes lymphadenopathy and petechial and ecchymotic bleeding, epistaxis, and thrombocytopenia can also be found.
From the moment a parasite enters the body of an attacked individual, it can take several weeks to the onset of symptoms until the end of life.
The infection occurs after contaminated ticks attack the dog and inoculate the parasites.
It is believed that ticks from the Rhipicephalus and Ixodes families are the most commonly invaded.
In most cases, pets do not show clinical signs of the disease, and if they do, lethargy, fever, depression, anorexia, and weight loss are present.
Sometimes lymphadenopathy and petechial and ecchymotic bleeding, epistaxis, and thrombocytopenia can also be found.
From the moment a parasite enters the body of an attacked individual, it can take several weeks to the onset of symptoms until the end of life.
Causative agents show an affinity for leukocytes and hematological abnormalities (eg thrombocytopenia) occurs as a consequence of inflammatory processes.
The diagnosis is made on the basis of morula findings in circulatory monocytes, neutrophils, or blood platelets in blood smears previously stained by Giemsa.
However, since morula is present only at the time of the acute stage of the disease, this further complicates the diagnosis.
Among other methods, serological methods may be used, such as indirect immunofluorescence (IF), ELISA.
Also, in the last few years, the PCR method has been well demonstrated in diagnostics.
How ticks attack dogs
Ticks like to live in the grass – medium height.
If the grass is mowed there should be no ticks because they do not tolerate the strong sun. If the grass is medium height, watch your pets.
The ticks climb from the grass to the dog’s paws and then look for the perfect place to bite the dog and drink his blood.
They can bite the dog anywhere, but in 90% of the cases, they choose the area around the ears, neck, and front legs.
Although small ticks are visible so it is definitely a good idea to check the dog after spending some time outside. Ticks usually attack in spring and summer.
If the tick bites your dog, it may take several hours for the tick to transmit the disease to the dog, so if you find and remove the tick quickly your dog will be fine.
For the prevention of tick bites, use some of the preparations that your veterinarian may recommend.
How to Remove a Tick from Your Dog
In addition to disease transmission, ticks can cause blood loss and anemia, especially in young, small dogs.
Use this Tick Remover Kit to effectively remove ticks from your dog.
If you find ticks on your dog’s body, you must remove it immediately, following the steps below:
1. Protect Yourself – Put on rubber gloves. Contact with the blood of an infected tick can also infect you especially if you have a cut in your hand.
2. Apply alcohol around the tick to disinfect it
3. Use forceps and grasp ticks as close as possible to the dog’s skin
4. Pull the tick away from the body and turn the tweezers counterclockwise
5. Pull until the tick comes out of the dog
6. Alcohol disinfects where the tick was
7. Put the tick in an alcohol jar. The tick will die of alcohol after a few hours, only then throw it away from other animals
After removing the tick, monitor your dog for the next couple of days. Check the bite site for infection and inflammation.
We also recommend this Practical Removal Kit (Tick Key) that you can carry with you when you go camping with your dog for a few days.
What do you need to know to keep hunting dogs outside?
If inflammation occurs, take the dog to the vet.
If the dog is acting weird – eating poorly, drinking more water, and getting his urine darker, it is a sign that the dog is infected and make sure to call a vet – do not tire the dog if he has these symptoms.
Conclusion
As you have seen ticks can be very dangerous for your dog’s health.
If you want to protect your dog think in advance, and preventive methods to prevent your dog from getting this parasite.
If you notice that your dog has ticks if possible contact your vet to have the parasite effectively removed.
In addition, monitor your dog, its condition, and in this way, you will prevent the development of the disease and the eventual death of the dog in time.
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